This invention relates to article display and vending devices which typically are usable in retail stores to display cigarette packages or other similarly packaged, stackable articles, for example, soap, photographic film, etc.
Retail stores and particularly supermarkets display for sale at the check-out counter a variety of items including cigarettes. A number ot types of cigarette display and vending racks have been used. In the most common type of installation, the rack is a simple cabinet having a number of vertical dividers which define a plurality of parallel vertical slots in which the cigarette packages may be stacked. The rack often is placed on the check-out counter facing the customer and facing away from the cashier. Experience has indicated a very high rate of pilferage from these devices. In addition, they are limited in size for a number of reasons, one of which being that if made too large the rack may obstruct the cashier's view. Thus, the typical self-service type of cigarette rack holds relatively few packages of cigarettes and must be replenished often. Also, because of the generally small size of the rack, the variety of cigarette brands often must be limited.
Pilferage is a substantial problem and a number of efforts have been made to locate cigarette racks remotely from the customer, for example, by placing a cigarette rack on top of the cash register where it can only be reached by the cashier. This type of installation also presents some difficulties. For example, a rack so located sometimes is difficult and awkward to refill because it may be difficult to reach. In addition, placement of the cigarette rack over the cash register obstructs a substantial portion of the cashier's view. Also, such racks are quite limited in size, for example, to the width of the register.
In addition to the above, prior racks have presented still further difficulties. For example, it is not uncommon for an entire stack of cigarettes to fall out of its vertical channel. Also, with typical prior art cigarette racks, each vertical channel is dimensioned to receive only one size of cigarette package (e.g., "regular", "king size", or "one hundred millimeter length"). This requires some care in loading the rack to assure that the correct size cigarette package is placed in the proper vertical channel. It is somewhat of a nuisance and is time consuming. Also among the difficulties is that when the bottom package in the stack is withdrawn from the rack it sometimes happens that more than one package is drawn out. This is somewhat inconvenient and, in some instances, the disruption at the bottom end of the stack can cause the entire stack to become unstable and fall out of its vertical channel.
It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved display and vending device which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties.